Location #6

From a seat on this wood bench, spend some time observing the edge between the wooded area and open muskeg in front of you. One of three local members of the highly-intelligent corvid family - a Steller’s jay, northwestern crow or common raven – may appear. Like all corvids, the beautiful blue Steller’s jay makes a wide variety of sounds, including a screechy scolding call. They seem to take special pleasure in giving away the presence of even the stealthiest human hunter. Raven, or Yéil in Tlingit, plays a central role in Tlingit storytelling and is a constant companion in the life of most Alaska residents. If you see them side-by-side, it’s easy to differentiate between the smaller northwestern crow (now American crow), with a wingspan of about 16 inches, and the larger common raven, with a 24-inch wingspan. If you don’t have a good size comparison, look at the bill; the crow's bill will be slender and more sharply pointed, while Raven’s is thicker, particularly toward the top. As they take flight, look at the shape of their tail. This can also help differentiate between the two species: Raven’s tail spreads out like a fan or wedge, while the crow’s tail grows straight and stops in an even line at the ends. Raven and crows can also make an amazing array of sounds. Raven’s drip-like call echoes beautifully through the rainforest on misty days - and most people have been fooled at least once by the crow's cat impersonations. For more information on birding in Petersburg, check out Audubon’s Southeast Alaska Birding Trails (see the Resources Page for the link).